Q. Why did you replace the opt-in with a sweepstakes on Facebook?A. The Mists of Pandaria beta opt-in has not been replaced. The sweepstakes is an additional way for us to randomly give out keys to our Facebook followers, but it has not replaced the beta opt-in. We’ll still be sending out beta invites to players who have opted-in, as normal.

Q. Why Facebook?A. When we release important news and announcements about World of Warcraft, Facebook is among the ways we get the message out. Since a significant portion of our players have Facebook accounts, we’d like to encourage them to follow us so that they can stay up-to-date on the latest news and events. Most every news item and story that goes out on our website we also send out on Facebook, so it’s a great way to keep up on World of Warcraft and Mists of Pandaria.

Q. Why is my country unable to participate in the sweepstakes?A. Unfortunately, some countries have laws or restrictions which prevent us from making contests available to their residents. The beta opt-in is still running, however, and does not have the same rules and limitations. If you’re unable to participate in the Facebook sweepstakes we encourage you to sign up for the opt-in through Battle.net Account Management.

Q. Do I need a Facebook account to enter this promotion?A. No. While entering with a Facebook account will provide you with some additional benefits, such as sharing if you’ve won with your friends, you don’t need an account to participate. If you’d like to enter, but don’t have a Facebook account (and don’t want one), you can click on the “Alternate Method of Entry” link at the bottom of the official rules page.

Q. The contest states that Facebook will not be given my personal information. What do you guys need it for?A. If you’re selected as a random winner, we’ll need your name and email address to ensure that you receive your beta key. We will not use this information for any other purpose. As for the Facebook application itself, while it will request access to your Friends List, it will not generate any unwanted notifications, messages, or wall posts. The request will simply allow the application to show you your friends list in case you want to let them know about the sweepstakes.

Q. When exactly will the weekly drawings be held?A. Drawings will be held every Tuesday, starting July 31. We’ll gather up all of the entries submitted before 11:59 p.m. PST, Monday and then randomly select 2,000 qualified winners from that pool. Out of those 2,000 winners, half of them will receive an additional key to give to a friend, sent to the email provided in the entry form. Winners will be removed from the entry pool and the process will repeat again the following Tuesday. A total of 5 drawings will be made, with the final drawing being on August 28.

Please note that if you are randomly selected as a winner, it may take a few days before you are notified and receive your beta key via email. In the meantime, we ask that players please refrain from posting on Facebook or the official forums about whether or not they’ve been selected.